Website: https://www.whitneyslusserphotography.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/whitneyslusserphotography [
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1037237566984504
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whitneyelizabethknott/
Past Business Names: Whitney Elizabeth Photography, Whitney Jones Photography, Whitney Smith Photography, Irish Twins Photography, Don’t Blink Photography
Past Locations: California, Utah, Arizona, South Carolina, Virginia, Maryland
PS Facebook Page Discussion Post
Holy moly.
Whitney has been submitted to me a few various times over the years but generally when I’ve had her dumped into my lap I’ve been too busy with the job that actually pays me to invest time into unraveling the mess that is Whitney Slusser / Whitney Slusser-Smith / Whitney Elizabeth / Whitney Elizabeth Knott / Whitney Elizabeth Knøtt.
There is some photo stealing here, she does like her some inspiration pics! However, the bigger picture here is the problematic history that Whitney has as a professional photographer.
I prefer things to be told chronologically so I’m going to attempt to tell this story in a timeline format so the sourcing format for stolen images will be a bit differet.
While I tried to mostly stick to things related to photography there are some other parts of this story that play into the photography parts so I’ve included it.
Grab your popcorn. It’s a (long) ride below the cut but I promise that it’s a story that needs telling.
Summary: In the past ~8 years of being in business that I can find online, Whitney Elizabeth Knøtt / Whitney Elizabeth / Whitney Slusser Photography (aka Don’t Blink Photography and Irish Twins Photography) has cancelled or no showed to many weddings and sessions. If she does show there has been problems getting photos and/or prints. Refunds are few and far between. She has also at times used images that were not her own to represent her business.
Canceled/No Show/Undelivered Sessions: 14+
Canceled/No Show/Undelivered Weddings: 22+
Trigger Warning: infant loss, child loss, cancer, sexual assault, suicidal ideation, suicide attempt
Last Updated 11/9/2023: Ugh. I wish I could say that I’m surprised to hear that Whitney is up to her shit again this fall but I’m not. I’m mostly sorry for the clients she’s burned, yet again.
• Added four more weddings for 2023. One from July with photos and a refund that weren’t delivered until this week after the client posted online, three for October that she cancelled last minute on (as per usual, two were for the same date).
• Here’s hoping that maybe she’ll be prosecuted like CP Family Photography who has a similar history to Whitney (but with less clients affected).
Update 7/14/2023:
• Added another client who Whitney sent in a last minute replacement for on 10/22/2022
• Added a post of Whitney needing last minute second photographer coverage for a wedding 5/27/2023
• More proof Whitney is still pursuing photography despite her claiming to be stepping back
Update 5/10/2023: Whitney is back to replying to ISO’s and posting ads for her photography business.
Update 2/20/2023 @ 10AM: even more receipts including a rebuttal from Whitney via email and Facebook (spoiler alert: she doesn’t refute anything with the sessions, only asserts the medical history is factual). Also included a chat message from Whitney telling her friends that she’s stepping back from photography in 2023.
Unknown Date – Whitney posts an ad for a “Fine Art” portrait session. The image she is using is not hers.
Unknown Date – Whitney offers Santa Mini Sessions.
Unknown Date – C Dream Photograph Shoot w/ Unicorn. Whitney did not show up for this session. Whitney claimed that she was rear ended on the way to the session. When the client wanted a refund Whitney allegedly asked the client for a ride to the bank and client agreed. When they got to the bank Whitney came out and told client that her account was frozen. Had client also stop at CVS on the way home so she could pick something up.
2015 – Whitney photographs a birth and TWO YEARS later remembers she never sent the final products promised which included one unwatermarked image and a slideshow. She does eventually send the unwatermarked image in 2017 but it is in low resolution,
7/2015 – Whitney has a hysterectomy per a Facebook post.
5/25/2016 – Whitney posts on Facebook she’s worried that she has TSS from leaving a tampon in too long during menstruation.
9/2016 – M Wedding. Whitney is hired for photo/video/photo booth. Takes beyond the promised timeline to deliver photos. Photo Booth doesn’t show up/isn’t given. Unclear if client ever recieved video. Was getting run around about refund for photo booth.
Late 2016 – 2017 – LuLaRoe with Whit. Whitney starts selling leggings as a LuLaRoe consultant.
Whitney had a presale for 50 pairs of holiday leggings in October. It took a while to get the leggings in, then once they arrived her daughter allegedly had a seizure and people are understanding about the delay in shipping. After that settled a bit she blamed everything being chaotic on catching up from damage from the hurricane. Then she had a car accident on 11/15/2016 on the way to the post office but she made sure to assure everyone that their leggings were okay and would be sent out the following week.
Then Whitney posts to her VIP group that her home was broken into and all of the leggings that were bagged up to be shipped were stolen. She claims the officer told her to have her clients all file chargebacks with their banks as the leggings were now stolen goods.
Shortly after this Whitney was able to secure 50 MORE leggings from a consultant going out of business and those sell too. Allegedly, none of these leggings ever shipped to the end client. There was, as usual with Whitney, a lot of fuckery around the refunds. Eventually many were sent to the clients with PayPal but Whitney used Goods and Services and a few weeks later Whitney allegedly disputes the charges and almost everyone lost their refunds.
There has also been claims that the images of leggings Whitney posted were stolen from other consultants. The few leggings she DID ship were allegedly sent to her as gifts.
10/15/2016 – Baby S Newborn Session – Whitney texts the Mom the day of the session to tell her that she is on the way to the hospital for a blood transfusion. After a month of battling, client is refunded.
11/2016 – W Maternity. Client did session with Whitney with a provided lace gown which was not in good condition. They did not sign a contract. The photos were delivered with a watermark but were in very low resolution and were given the run around trying to get files which never arrived. Client was also not keen on the photos Whitney chose to post feeling very exposed in them.
12/11/2016 – M Wedding. Whitney is hired for a wedding ceremony and showed up to photograph it. 2 months later Whitney tells client her hard drive crashed during upload and she lost all images in 2/2017. Facebook post from A.
6/2017 – Baby S Birth Session – Whitney is hired by for a birth session for Baby S. Mom paid $500 in full upfront for birth photography with a clause that if she was not able to be present for the birth the package would be exchanged for a Fresh 48 session + a First Year Cake Smash. Mom was pregnant with a baby with Trisomy 18 and wanted to make sure that they had photos of the baby in case the baby did not live for long, which was a very real possibility. Per contract, clients were to call Whitney when at 5-7 cm dilation. Whitney showed up during early stages of labor on day of induction, without being called and left. Was not contacted for birth due to it being an emergency c section. Took the only pre-surgery photos of Baby S on 7/4 which was the date they agreed on based on Whitney’s schedule. During session Whitney told the client she was also pregnant with a special needs baby which tugged at their heartstrings. Whitney sent over gallery of low resolution images and Mom ordered $214 worth of prints on 7/31. They were never delivered. Whitney told the Mom they lost the baby boy and planted his urn with a tree so they could watch him grow. Mom was very understanding, checking in and praying for Whitney and their family. In September Whitney told the client she ordered the photos and was finally coming out of her depression and able to get out of bed. In October the “ordered” prints still had not arrived and Mom finally did research and found the trail of clients with undelivered items online. Mom won a lawsuit against Whitney in 5/2018 for $1200 but was never paid. Mom posted in detail about what happened on Facebook. Per the Mom, she had conversations with the alleged baby daddy/husband Shawn on Facebook and over the phone. He confirmed there was never a pregnancy so the story Whitney told Mom was all allegedly a lie.
8/2017 – F Session. Photographed the event and lost the files.
10/2017 – Whitney is allegedly sexually assaulted and backs out of a wedding.
1/13/2018 – Whitney posts a collage to a Facebook photography group of a styled session she’s hosting for other photographers to pay to participate in. The images are not all hers.
1/15/2018 – Whitney has a radical hysterectomy (note, she claims she had one in 2015) after precancerous cells were found on her cervix after her sexual assault. After her post op she states that they found malignancies in uterus, fallopian tubes, left ovary, endo and ecto cervix. She also states she has hydronephrosis of the right kidney. Whitney posts a Go Fund Me in February for living and medical expenses from this medical event.
2/5/2018 – Whitney posts to a Facebook group needing coverage for a lifestyle newborn due to having the flu. Photos included are not her images.
4/17/2018 – Baby E Birth. Whitney and the Mom traded services and Mom paid additional for birth photography. Per the contract, Whitney wasn’t supposed to schedule anything around due date. Whitney scheduled a ureteral surgery the date of the induction claiming it was complications from her cervical cancer. Jennifer ended up photographing the birth. Whitney later used Jennifer photos on her website despite Whitney not having the copyright or permission from Mom to use the images.
5/20/2018 – Whitney has a stroke per her Go Fund Me. Whitney goes live while in the ER and I’ve seen the video. It is… curious. Afterwards Whitney allegedly has to relearn how to walk.
5/23/2018 – Whitney posts to a Facebook group that she needs help covering sessions due to having a stroke.
6/2018 – S Wedding. One week before the wedding Whitney canceled due to a stroke. Another photographer was able to shoot the wedding but the client was not refunded per their last post.
7/18/2018 – Whitney posts advertising for sessions on the beach on 7/21/2018.
7/25/2018 – Whitney posts to a local photographer group needing coverage for a wedding because something came up.
11/11/2018 – Whitney schedules tree farm mini sessions for this date then cancels them two days before due to “unforeseen circumstances” which she later tells one client is because she forgot she scheduled an elopement.
12/2018 – S Session. Client purchased a session during a sale in 12/2018 that could be used for 12 months per the agreement. Client allegedly reaches out numerous times to Whitney but cannot get her to reply. Never was able to schedule a session or was ever refunded per the post (may have been since).
2/2019 – G Session. Client paid $750 and Whitney canceled due to having strep throat. Was not able to get a date rescheduled.
4/2019 – Whitney offered free sessions so long as you purchased a gown of Whitney’s choosing and agreed to go to the location of her choice. A client did just that. The day of the session Whitney canceled 2 hours prior and never confirmed the rescheduled date.
4/13/2019 – K&R Wedding. Whitney hired for wedding in Charlotte. Whitney cancelled one hour before the wedding claiming she was in a car accident. There is debate about the refund as it is a pattern for Whitney to claim she has refunded but the clients never get the money, with various excuses/reasons why the refund didn’t go through. Later when the client posts about her online, Whitney replies and states that she tried to unalive herself and that’s the reason she didn’t show up at the wedding.
5/4/2019 – S Wedding. Whitney told client 10 minutes before ceremony she had a stroke and wouldn’t make the wedding. Did the usual refund through PayPal and canceled the refund and of the client’s last posting it was never refunded.
6/2019 – W Session. Client had previous sessions go well with Whitney. Scheduled a sunflower mini session. Whitney deleted all social media and eliminated any way for the client to contact her.
6/2019 – H Session. Client bought sessions during a BOGO sale. Whitney wouldn’t reply to emails attempting to set up the sessions. Client was not refunded per their last posting.
6/2019 – W Session. Client bought a session during a sale. When she went to contact Whitney she discovered she was blocked.
6/2019 – M Wedding. Hired for wedding in 11/2019 with an included engagement session. Gave run around on getting engagement session scheduled including claiming her daughter had a seizure. Client wanted refund and did not get it at last posting.
6/13/2019 – B Mermaid Session. Whitney canceled the day of the session leaving the Mom scrambling to find a photographer to capture a mermaid session that night. The daughter was counting down to the session.
10/6/2019 – K from 4/2019’s wedding posts his review of Whitney to a Facebook group and Whitney replies. Others comment, including a local photographer that has been vocal against Whitney. Whitney sends her a Facebook message claiming that she hasn’t booked any clients since June [2019] and hasn’t advertised. This is easily proven to be false.
10/13/2019 – T&D Wedding. Whitney did not show up for this wedding, clients ended up getting a refund by contesting the charge with their credit card company.
10/17/2019 – Whitney is arrested for 3rd Degree Domestic Violence and pleads guilty.
11/14/2020 – L&E Wedding. Whitney is hired for a wedding in Charleston, SC. Client talked to Whitney shortly before they were to meet but Whitney never arrived. No replacement photographer was sent. Refund finally given a year later.
5/2021 – 10/2021 – In May Whitney states she was diagnosed with BRCA1+ Stage 4 Cancer as well as a “spot on her leg” that is cancerous. In July or August she creates a Go Fund Me for $2500. After getting covid, Whitney’s double mastectomy and reconstruction is moved back to 9/29/2021. A week post op she is rushed back to the ER with a fever and is diagnosed with sepsis.
10/2021 – Two weeks after her double mastectomy and a week after being diagnosed with sepsis, and ~2 days after being discharged from the hospital from sepsis, Whitney is given the all clear to travel to Virginia.
11/30/2021 – Whitney posts that she’s officially beaten cancer and is offering pay what you can for 2022 or 2023 weddings with a complementary engagement session.
1/19/2022 – Whitney posts to Instagram bringing back up the cancer in her leg that was mentioned in her Go Fund Me. She claims to be canceling her trip to Vegas in February due to the aggressive treatment she will need to have.
2/12/2022 – Despite the claims in her Instagram post from January, Whitney does still travel to Las Vegas with her husband.
8/26/2022 – Whitney posts on a local Facebook group looking for photographers for 3 upcoming weddings she cannot photograph due to a major surgery due to her cancer battle.
8/30/2022 – Whitney posts to her Facebook advertising space in her Van Gough inspired styled session for 10/4/2022.
9/3/2022 – Whitney posts images advertising an upcoming Unicorn mini session for 3/11-12 2023. The images she used are of her daughter taken by another photographer.
9/12/2022 – Whitney posts on a local Facebook group looking for photographers for 2 upcoming weddings she cannot photograph due to unfortunate circumstances.
9/17/2022 – M & P Wedding. Day before wedding had a message from Veronica stating that she was looking forward to working with them as their photographer. M messaged Whitney to get clarification because they had not been told anything about another photographer shooting the wedding. Whitney said that she was having chemo and couldn’t make the wedding (later would say she had surgery this date). Note the above post 5 days before the wedding looking for coverage on that date. Veronica’s photos were subpar to the quality they thought they were getting with Whitney – grainy, blurry, missed focus. Whitney photographed a different wedding this date.
9/22/2022 – Whitney posts on her Facebook page she is having a pay what you can sale to “spread some good karma in the world”
*cough* definitely doesn’t have anything to do with all the weddings she’s going to need to refund and photographers she is going to have to pay in the near future.
9/24/2022 – K & D Wedding. 4 days before the wedding Whitney told them that due to Lyme’s Disease she could not make the wedding. Sent Wanda as a replacement photographer, who was hired on 9/12 after replying to Whitney’s ISO post. Whitney sent over images for approval that she claimed to be Wanda’s. The first image was Wanda’s but the rest of the images she sent were Sabrina Jolie’s. Wanda’s images were not up to the same standard the client expected from Whitney and they were promised a partial refund because Whitney agreed with their sentiment. However, to this date, this refund has not been issued. Whitney photographed another wedding on this date.
9/29/2022 – C&A Wedding. 3 days before the wedding, Whitney told C+A that she had to have an MRI/PET scan done on their date for an upcoming major surgery so would be sending in another photographer to cover their date. She sent in Sabrina Jolie (whose photos were sent again) and Kita. Sabrina and Kita’s images were not equal to the quality of images that the clients expected from Whitney. Whitney agreed to send all RAW files via a flash drive but only sends JPGs. Whitney was in Asheville, NC on vacation the date of their wedding. Here is the client’s post about her in a public Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/marylandweddingresale/posts/1834031403632744/
10/1/2022 – D&F Wedding. Day before the wedding Whitney told clients she wasn’t going to make it due to being stuck in the south due to Hurricane Ian. 2 hours before wedding Whitney posts to a local photography group saying she needed coverage due to already booked associate bailing on her. Whitney tells Kristen she’s battling breast cancer and that’s why she had an associate. Kristen picked up the wedding and arrived just before the ceremony. It was her first wedding. Whitney photographed another wedding in Maryland this date.
10/8/2022 – T&M Wedding. Day before wedding Whitney said she was having emergency surgery and couldn’t come. Note, this is a wedding she posted needing coverage for in August. Kristen also covered this wedding. Whitney photographed another wedding on this date.
10/8/2022 – B&W Wedding. Day before wedding Whitney said she was having emergency surgery and couldn’t come. Note, this is a wedding date she posted needing coverage for in August. A subpar photographer was sent to cover this wedding. Whitney photographed another wedding on this date.
10/8/2022 – A&J Wedding. Day before wedding Whitney contacted bride and said she couldn’t photograph her wedding due to a medical emergency. She sent in a replacement photographer who was there 6 of the 8 hours they paid for. After posting a review on Facebook, the client was refunded and given more images. Whitney photographed another wedding on this date.
This is the story from the client, posted with her permission:
“I would like to share my experience with Whitney Slusser Photography run by Whitney Knott.
I retained her for her services as i felt she took good pictures and admired her willingness to still photograph with what she was going through.
On Friday 10/7 the day before my wedding mind you, I was asked to concatct Whitney at which time I did.
I was advised she had a medical emergency and had to send someone in her place however I was assured I would receive the same services per the contract.
Saturday 10/8 the replacement photographer did NOT arrive until at least 230. I got minimal pics of getting ready as we were already ready at that time so no big deal we were going to pretend. Whatever. Well, said photographer leaves to “scope the scene” it mustve been at least 30 or 40 minutes before I saw her again.
At that time we began take bridal party pics etc. No big deal.
The reception comes, everyone gets their food and the photographer disappears. Later i found a plate of food at the cottage I was staying in so assumingly she went and sat there and ate. I have no idea how long she was gone as I didnt realize until someone asked where my photographer was.
Then she re appears, takes more pictures and asks me at 8:42 if she can go she wasnt feeling well. Of course i say yes, I was scared had I said no the remainder of my pictures couldlve been crap.
I express what happened to Whitney. Apparently said photographer that was at my wedding said she had only left an hour early. The last time i checked 8:42 to 10 is not an hour. Not to mention the LATE arrival to begin with!
Ive been so patient this entire time and now im being ignored and its very upsetting.
I will NEVER get to relive that day, who knows what tomorrow brings so those pictures were so important to me.
At this point maybe my story will save someone else from this happening. Spreading awareness etc.
Also, as I typed this i doubled checked my bank account for the $200 and nope never got it.
UPDATE: i did receive a refund of missed hours $200 and ALL my wedding pics several great ones we never saw. Do your dudiligence before hiring anyone for an event is the lesson i learned. Ive been blocked by Whitneys photography page, and was accused of bashing her after she kept using her cancer as an excuse to why she never answered and everything else under the sun. Please save yourselves the hassle and do not retain her services.
10/10/2022 – Whitney posts to her Facebook Page offering 10% off to any clients paying off their final balance by 10/14.
10/11/2022 – Whitney and Kristen did not sign a contract between them for the associate photographer’s gig. Yet Whitney posts a photo that Kristen photographed of T&M to her Facebook Page.
10/15/2022 – A wedding in Bedford, PA that Whitney needed covered per her ISO post in 8/2022. This client has not been located yet.
10/22/2022 – A&A Wedding. Day before wedding Whitney canceled claiming she needed emergency surgery for her cancer day of the wedding and included a graphic image of the wound on her breast. Whitney did not send in another photographer and the client was able to find someone last minute. The initial refund did not go through, likely due to lack of funds in the account linked in her Square account, the client was eventually refunded. Whitney photographed another wedding on this date.
10/22/2022 – S&D Wedding. Day before wedding Whitney canceled claiming she needed emergency surgery for her cancer day of the wedding. Sends over a photo of an open wound she claims is on her breast. Did not offer or send replacement photographer. Was able to get a refund by disputing charge with their bank. Whitney photographed another wedding on this date.
10/22/2022 – J&P Wedding. Day before wedding Whitney canceled claiming she needed emergency surgery for her cancer the same day of the wedding. Sends over a photo of an open wound she claims is on her breast. Replacement photographer was sent but client had issues with the edited images missing key parts of the day. Only received around 300 images. Whitney photographed another wedding on this date.
11/2/2022 – Whitney posts to a Facebook group looking for coverage for a wedding on 11/5/2022 in York, PA. This client has not been found.
11/2022 – Whitney posts to a local photography Facebook group looking for someone to photographer her wedding that coming weekend. Kristen picks up this wedding as well.
11/12/2022 – Whitney posts her Black Friday sales to her Facebook Page.
11/12/2022 – C&N Wedding. Day before wedding Whitney reached out to the client and told them she had covid. Kristen photographed the wedding. Whitney allegedly photographed a maternity session on this date.
2/2023 – Whitney goes to Las Vegas and photographs a wedding with a friend.
2/19/2023 – Whitney replies to the post via email and insists she’s had all the medical issues listed. I never said she did not, I just listed the information she posted or reasons she gave the clients for canceling, I leave it to the reader to decide what they want to believe regarding her medical history. She does not dispute any of the sessions/weddings/copyright infringement mentioned in the post.
2/19/2023 – Whitney messages a photography group she’s part of on Facebook stating she will be stepping back from photography and offering to refer photographers in the group to these clients. She claims she has refunded the upcoming brides.
5/10/2023: Whitney, did not, stop taking photography sessions. She has been posting ads for births and mini sessions. She also is replying to ISOs posted in various wedding groups for wedding photographers and these locations aren’t always near her. Thankfully some have found this post before booking and opted to not take the chance of her not showing but it’s unknown if any have booked her without knowing her history.
Hopefully she’s learned her lesson and shows up and delivers all items…
5/10/2023 – Whitney emails me stating she’s really closing up shop after posting an update with the above.
5/23/2023 – Whitney posts to Facebook needing a second shooter for 5/27/2023 after hers backed out last minute.
Summer 2023 – Whitney continues to post ads for her sessions on various Facebook groups.
7/15/2023 – B&J Wedding. Whitney was hired for photography and videography. She did not bring a videographer. The client did not receive photos or refund until yesterday (11/8) after the bride made a post in a buyer beware group.
10/7/2023 – A&C Wedding. 3 hours before the wedding Whitney canceled stating that her child had attempted suicide and she wouldn’t be able to photograph their wedding.
The clients did end up with a wonderful photographer who gave them beautiful photos.
They have not been refunded their $1100 retainer.
10/7/2023 – S&C Wedding. The morning of their wedding Whitney canceled stating that her child had attempted suicide and she wouldn’t be able to photograph their wedding.
Luckily the hairdresser for the wedding was able to connect the clients with a photographer she knew and they were available and the clients ended up with beautiful images from their day.
10/21/2023 – Wedding in PA. The morning of the wedding, Whitney canceled stating that her child had attempted suicide and she wouldn’t be able to photograph their wedding.
Allegedly the same day as the wedding Whitney posted to Facebook that she was on her way to Jamaica and photos from the island. The clients had been told she was leaving the day after their wedding.
11/6/2023 – Whitney, yet again, claims she’s done with photography. Where have I heard that before… yet here we are AGAIN with the same bullshit despite her quitting photography almost a year ago.
I am hearing there are more clients but am awaiting more details.